Over the past several weeks, vandals have smashed out several glass panels at six TCAT bus shelters causing inconvenience to riders and costing TCAT thousands of dollars to repair. The recent criminal activity is also prompting TCAT to delay replacing older shelters with more modernized structures to avoid the risk of the new shelters becoming targets.

"We are really looking forward to providing our riders with new and improved shelters, but we don't want to risk those being damaged as well," said TCAT project manager Megan Pulver, who is overseeing TCAT's shelter replacement plan. "This is a disappointing to our customers who rely on the shelters to protect them from the elements while waiting for their buses."

TCAT has 84 bus shelters within its service area of which six are scheduled for replacement, Pulver said.

TCAT's amenities team reported that glass panes were shattered at five shelters to include those at West Village; Lehman Alternative Community School; Chestnut Hill; State @ Fulton (former interstate bus/ train station); Albany St. @ Salvation Army; and Tops at Lansing (damage shown in photo above).